Unfortunately we cancelled our trip to Porto because of how bad the weather was during our stay in Portugal. It rained almost continuously during the day while we were in Lisbon and when we checked the forecasts and saw that things were only going to get worse. We didn’t see the point in paying for train tickets to drag ourselves to Porto to get drenched again. I went online and found that the Sheraton Lisboa was going for 10,000 SPG (30k Marriott) points/night and booked two rooms immediately with my suite night upgrade certificates attached.
The Lobby (Rating: 8/10)
2 hours later we walked into the foyer of the Sheraton Lisboa, completely drenched from loading our bags into the Ubers we had ordered to the Airbnb. It was absolutely pouring buckets upon buckets of rain that day in Lisbon. Before we move on, I am quite surprised that this Sheraton didn’t receive the “Sheraton Grand” designation because it certainly seems to be a step better than your run-of-the-mill Sheraton.
Luckily the receptionist had our keys ready for us within a matter of minutes and we were immediately escorted to our suite. The hotel staff also got our soaked coats dried off upon our request.
The following benefits were confirmed for both rooms:
- Free Breakfast at the Hotel Restaurant daily
- Access to the Club Lounge
- Upgrade to highest available room (including standard suites)
The Executive Suite (Rating: 8/10):
As soon as you enter rooms at this hotel, you do realize that the hotel isn’t exactly the most modern hotel in Lisbon. Upon entering the room was a traditional style front foyer with a chair and an end table with a lamp and phone.
Straight ahead was a living area with a dated couch and a tv the sign of most people’s computer screens. There was also a sizeable desk on the right side with a lamp and a half bath right behind it.
The bathroom was located near the entrance into the bedroom and featured a soaking tub as well as a standing shower. While the room in general was a bit dated in layout and furnishing, it did have certain modern touches when it came to the restrooms. I’m referring to the useless windows near the bath tub, which seem to be popular in places outside the US. This one luckily had some blinds to pull down electronically.
As you can see the toiletries were both Sheraton “Shine” and Portus Cale branded. While I appreciated the more premium and local brand being offered, I think the Sheraton “Shine” toiletries had a better scent. The room also featured a coffee maker, robes, and slippers.
The bedroom itself consisted of a king sized bed, two chairs, and a television. Pretty much your standard issue hotel room attached to the rest of the suite. Due to the dated design of the room, electrical outlets were not available right next to the bed, which was super annoying.
Next to the TV was a welcome amenity which consisted of a bottle of wine and two water bottles. Now I’m not much of a wine connoisseur so I didn’t check the brand but here it is:
Twin/Twin Premium Guest Room (Rating: 8/10):
My room was basically identical to my parents’ room except with two beds and a desk. The room was only a couple of doors down from the suite. This premium room appeared to have been refurbished more recently than the suite. Outlets were perfectly located and Wi-Fi was fast throughout our stay.
The View (7/10)
Perhaps the best part of both rooms are the views. Due to the hotel building being among the tallest in the city and its positioning on a hill, the windows featured panoramic views featuring the 25 de Abril Bridge, and the Castelo S. Jorge. I could immediately tell based on my views just when the storms were coming in or clearing out.
The Club (6/10)
Marriott Platinum members get access to the Sheraton Club Lounge on the 24th floor of the hotel with views of the river and the city much like our rooms. The lounge is open everyday from 7am – 11pm and serves breakfast as well as evening snacks. During the evening hours there were even free 15 minute massages, which I tried out, only to find that it made my back worse than it already was. In the defense of the masseuse, I’m not really fan of massages of any kind. We only visited the lounge once during our stay since the rooms already had great views and breakfast was also offered at the restaurant downstairs.
The space itself is of an average size with some lounge chairs and tables with chairs in the back. It’s nice that they have this space, but it certainly isn’t the most modern. The breakfast benefit would’ve been perfect if the SPG AMEX Business Card was still around offering the benefit.
The lounge had an ok spread with some random cookies, a few cold cuts, and some cocktails as well as soft drinks. The presentation was a bit odd other than the canapes and the cookies tasted awful. I do hope the breakfast spread was of better quality.
Breakfast @ Lobby Bistro (9/10)
Breakfast is served everyday at the Lobby Bistro from 6 am to 10:30 am. The decor and ambiance along with spread are quite good for Sheraton.
It pretty much offered everything you can think of and everything was of very good quality. There was even caviar and champagne served at breakfast, though it probably wasn’t the most expensive type of either one.
There were also some made to order stuff which included eggs and omelettes. There is certainly something for everyone to eat, though it certainly isn’t the very best breakfast buffet I’ve ever seen. Service at breakfast was very good though you do need to sign a written consent slip of some kind to take anything with you to your room.
Bottom Line:
Will I Return?
YES because of the value it presents as a Marriott Elite
Pros:
- Marriott Category 5
- Views
- Marriott Platinum Recognition
- Breakfast Spread (Variety not Quality)
- Champagne/Caviar in Breakfast (if you like that stuff)
- Location is far but transportation in and around hotel is easy/cheap
Not Sure:
- The premium room was more modern than the suite. Maybe they are still working on upgrades?
Cons:
- Location is far from Old Town (Alfama)
- The Club Lounge isn’t great. Food was of bad quality.
